A High Schooler's Perspective on Haiti

Haiti is a place unlike any other, it is a place where people are more grateful for what they have even though they have less than us in the USA. People in Haiti constantly praise God for what they have even though over half of the population would be considered the poorest of the poor in the US. Haiti is a place were wherever you go it feels like you personally know others. In Haiti it is acceptable and encouraged to greet someone with a smile and wave as you are walking past them in the streets.

An aspect that is truly amazing about Haiti is the way they praise God, they believe that God will provide for them and is always watching over them. They are by no means ungrateful however as they thank him constantly for the little they have, even though most of them only have a few possessions  Houses consist of a small metal and wood shack that is hand built, yet if they invite you in you can tell just by looking at their eyes and the way they talk that they are proud of what they have.

A little bit about me now so you can understand my perspective. I am 16 years old and becoming a sophomore in high school next year. Truthfully, I went into my Haiti experience with a bad attitude. I reluctantly agreed to go and didn't plan on truly embracing the experience. Haiti however has changed me. It has showed me that something we all take for granted such as taking a hot shower is actually a huge luxury. It has taught me that things I  and others call, "needs" really are not relevant or important at all, such as having a new car every 3 years, not having the top of the line computer or wearing the, "coolest" clothes in your school. I believe that Haiti has done more for me then I have done for it, I came to Haiti to help the people here but they helped me be a better person.

Kyle Spencer

The Will to Live

Haiti has a special way of opening the eyes of those who visit.  This morning, we visited a home for sick and dying children.  It was an emotional experience, and we left with huge respect for the kids and staff that works with these kids.  There were many sick babies in cribs in multiple rooms, and it was heartwarming when something as simple as holding them would calm their tears.  Some of the babies needed to be changed which led me to the opportunity to change my first diaper!

Later this afternoon, we traveled to Titanyen to visit some of the elderly which Reiser Relief helps to support.  The people live in conditions which would be totally unthinkable in the U.S and their will to live is inspiring.  Their homes (tin shacks) are so hot it's almost unbearable just to stand in them.  Many of us had to step out frequently to catch a breath of slightly cooler air.  One old man even sleeps under his bed because the floor is more comfortable than the 90 degree air above his bed.  To me, living in such a place would be similar to living in a sauna 24 hours a day.  We brought food and water to many of these people, but it must be hidden to avoid be stolen by their family care givers.  We also visited a 21 year old boy who has severe brain damage from an epileptic seizure.  His mother has faithfully cared for him every day of his life, ever since the seizure happened at age 5.

We then visited Grace Village, a village with a school, the largest playground in Haiti, orphanage, sustainable farming, a feeding center, and a church.  Walking into Grace Village after seeing the elderly homes felt like I was entering heaven.  The buildings were in excellent conditions, many thanks to the donations through Reiser Relief which contributed to the village.  Seeing the village was a nice example of the beautiful, clean, comfortable side of Haiti.

To end the day, we stopped by the 2010 earthquake monument/burial ground which contains over 300,000 unidentified bodies.  Brunet, one of our interpreters, told us of his experiences during and after the earthquake.  The story was heartbreaking and  really brought the whole experience to life.  The earthquake had many effects which are even still prominent today, one obvious example of this being the tent cities throughout Haiti.  Even at the monument, there were hungry children begging us for food.

Quoting one of my favorite bloggers, "Oh, the things I learn in Haiti".

Alex Kopen

The Lucky Few

Yesterday morning I visited Gertrude's, a Haitian orphanage that accepts special needs children.  By American standards, the living conditions are sub-par, but by Haitian standards, these kids are considered the lucky few.  They have beds, bathrooms, regular meals, and even a playground.  When I first walked in, I was somewhat repelled.  Many of the children were dirty and smelled.  As I started to play with them, I realized these kids appreciated everything that my team and I had to offer.  Due to Gertrude's being significantly understaffed, any individual attention these kids were able to receive clearly meant a lot to them, which was shown by the smiles on their faces.  One example of this was clearly evident with a baby a team member of mine was taking care of.  This baby had been a burn victim, and had burn scars going from the top of her head, down her arm, and ending at her hand, which had no fingers.  She looked like she had gone through more pain than most people do in their lifetime, and she appeared to only be around a year old.  Another thing that stood out to me was the wheelchairs some of the special needs kids were in.  The
seats were made out of cheap plastic lawn chairs and had clearly gone through extensive wear and tear.

After Gertrude's, I visited the general hospital.  The hospital had many sick babies, but it was heart warming to see that the parents were sitting next to the cribs.  Work in Haiti is scarce, and I can only imagine what a commitment it must be to stick with your child every day.  It was obvious that the parents felt a brief moment of relief when we offered to hold their kids for a short period of time.  The hospital had 2 main rooms for all of the kids, unlike some hospitals in the U.S. which have a room for each patient.  Seeing some of the kids was quite difficult, especially one little girl who had parasites, which made her stomach bulge way out, appearing as if she was pregnant with triplets.

Next time you're complaining about something, stop for a minute and just realize how blessed you really are.

Alex Kopen

Surreal

The amount of happiness that goes along with the unfilled needs in Haiti is unbelievable.  As this is my first trip to Haiti, I was not too sure what to expect.  I had seen the blog posts from my wonderful Aunts, Ann and Joyce, but seeing everything in person is a world of difference.  Yesterday and today, I was trying to think of words to describe what I saw, but I was not able to think of anything even close to accurately describe my experiences.

Yesterday we worked the water truck.  On the way out to our water truck destinations, we were traveling on roads that were in worse conditions than any road I have ever been on in the states.  The roads were made of all rocks and it is not uncommon to see goats running across the street in the mingle of cars and motorcycles which appear to always be on the verge of hitting each other; it's even crazier that the roads are in the capital of the country and traveled on by thousands every day.  When we arrived at our destination, we were immediately swarmed by children wanting to be held, all of which had smiles on there faces.  The common greeting for a child was jumping up and down and yelling "Hey, you!".  At our first stop, I immediately started manning the house with my oh so fabulous cousin Kyle.  People, mostly kids, would line up ecstatically with their plastic buckets, many of which had broken handles, waiting for their precious water.  After a bucket was filled up, the kids would carry it back to their tin shacks, often by placing the buckets on their head despite the weight of the bucket and the size of the child.  Some of the youngest children would put their mouth against the connection of the hose to the truck where small droplets of water were shooting out and try to catch as much water as they could/  The rush of people and joy those people receiving water gave off an atmosphere similar to a party.  After filling up dozens of buckets, I interacted with some children that were literally begging to be held.  With these children, I walked by many of the shacks.  Seeing the living conditions of the world's poorest was surreal.  Any conception of "poor" I had before this trip was blown out the water.  Everything is so difficult to grasp that even immediately after being there I had not yet completely processed or was able to comprehend what I had just experienced.

We later played soccer with a group of wonderful boys that live in tents near our guest house.  The boys were experienced soccer players and were having just as much fun, if not more, than any young athlete in the U.S.  The field we played on was quite interesting due to the cows on the field.  That did not stop us from having a great time which ended up being an excellent bonding experience for us all.

19 year old first time Haiti goer and first time blogger signing off.

Alex Kopen

All Roads Lead to...

It’s the last full day of our trip, and the sense of wonderment, sadness, spirituality, humor, adventure and fulfillment have only increased.  Our well thought out itinerary has completely collapsed during our trip, as the road we set out on has taken unexpected twists and turns every day. 

Yesterday’s loosely scheduled visit with a local priest caused such a change in our itinerary that even the director of our guesthouse came looking for us.  But what a welcome twist in the road it was.   Besides getting a tour of all the work this priest is doing in Haiti, we ended up seeing and learning so many things about his work, getting invaluable insight into Haitian culture, and we even learned some things about ourselves.   This colorful, innovative and Christ-filled priest welcomed we four strangers into his world, and we parted having made another wonderful new friend in Haiti. 

Today started out appearing to be a more “ordinary” day in Port au Prince.  We planned to hit the road early and head up to Reiser Heights to see the completion of our new roof at the school (yes it’s done!), 

but God had other ideas for us.

First, there was a delay in leaving as we waited for our interpreter to arrive.  Then halfway up the mountain, the radiator overheated.  After a stop on the side of the road that involved a couple paint cans of water and an old broken 2 x 4 piece of lumber, we were back on the road.  We finally arrived at Reiser Heights.   We are happy to report that the new roof looks beautiful!  After that, we revisited a couple of the families we’d met two days ago to ask if they would like to use some of the old sheet metal from our original roof to replace the roofs on their houses (our OLD sheet metal was even better than what was on their roofs).   The final item on our agenda was to see if we could visit the Catholic Church in the area that many of our students and their families attend.  When we asked how far away it was, the director of the school assured us he walked there all the time, but he wanted US to drive there.  So we got in our truck with the fragile radiator and set off for what I thought would be a two-minute drive.  As it turned out, the road to the church was an extremely rutty, rocky path built into the side of the mountain and filled with terrifying hairpin turns.   When we were able to steal looks at the scenery, during the times our eyes weren’t squeezed tightly shut, the view of the valley and the mountains rising above it was breathtaking.   No doubt, it was “God’s country.”  And at the end of this inspirational road was a rustic but beautiful church that was every bit as inspirational.  As seems to be the custom in Haiti, the kind priest gave us a warm welcome and all the time we needed to ask our many questions.

On our drive back, I had such a strong image of all the mountain families in the area walking down this long road to church every Sunday, leaving their one-room shacks, their dirt floors, their few possessions, and their extreme poverty and coming to worship God.   And gladly, they seem to find every step of that walk worth their while.   What an inspiration.

So that was where our road took me this week—on a wonderfully joy-filled, and spiritual journey filled with surprising twists and turns.  But the

 journey and twists and turns didn’t exhaust me.  Rather, they rejuvenated me and gave me direction to continue our Reiser Relief ministry.   And I’m certain that my wonderful uncle, Father Reiser, who traversed these roads long before I did, was helping to lead me every step of the way.

Blessings,

Ann

Reasonable Happiness

Our last full day in Haiti.   We made another trip to Reiser Heights with many side adventures including an overheated radiator, a zoo with less than 10 living animals (including 2 goats and 3 bunnies), visiting our new friends who live near Reiser Heights, an indescribably bumpy road to a church in a small village with the most breathtaking scenery I've ever seen in Haiti, a stop at the Haitian auto parts store to buy a new battery for the 'pikop,'  and passing newlyweds on a motorcycle (white tux, white gown, red bike). 

We started our day at Mass where we were encouraged to pursue reasonable happiness.   I finally have a phrase for what captivates me when watching many Haitians.  Poverty is not glamorous.  It's dirty, difficult, smelly and unjust.  Yet time and again I see poor Haitians who seem happy.  Often happier than many Americans I know who are materially rich.  What gives?

Do we have a tendency to seek unreasonable happiness?  Is seeking out the finest products, the ultimate experience, or the most power going to make us happy?  It may give us a temporary sense of triumph, but is it reasonable?   Or is joy in the little moments in life.  Is joy allowing a childlike sense of wonder and awe fill our hearts and minds, uncluttered by the pursuit of anything?  Is it taking time to chat, to smile, to joke, to lighten another person's load that we should pursue?

Haiti forces me to unplug.  Until I'm back at the guesthouse with WiFi, my cell phone doesn't function, I don't know that time it is, and my mind has freedom to wander, wonder and be.   

Given this freedom from life I had so many moments of reasonable happiness today: 

-Watching the little Haitian girls at Mass extend the sign of peace to every smiling nun in the room

-Visiting once again 'Little Miss Attitude' at Reiser Heights and holding 2 month old Rose Darling while she made cooing noises

-Finding new sheet metal for 2 families living in oh so humble homes with leaky roofs

-Listening to a country priest explain with pride the numbers of faithful members of his flock and his plans for the parish feast day

-Seeing the completed roof on the Community Center at Reiser Heights.

-Seeing tropical farm land flourishing with vegetables as well as banana, bamboo and mango trees.

-Watching Ann trying to keep up with a fast moving Haitian on a country road while they were both passed by a lively donkey.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

In many ways it reminds me of my Uncle Fr. Reiser.  He used the phrase "Excellent!" to summarize a positive attitude toward life and finding the joy in the moment.  I know he was with us today in spirit today.  And I think he is reasonably happy.

Peace,

Joyce

Nothing

This morning we watched two nuns renew their vows at morning mass.  What a touching ceremony.  These sisters, who from my perspective already give of themselves totally to Christ, annually renew their vows of chastity, poverty, obedience and to love and serve God in all ways.  I wish I could begin every day witnessing such dedication and faith.

We were privileged today to also meet with a Catholic priest who has served in Haiti for decades and supports multiple ministries throughout the country.   His stories and experience were invaluable to us and left me with a sense of peace and a renewed commitment to follow as God leads us in Haiti.   Short term missionaries to Haiti are often asked what they do in Haiti.  This priest suggested that to respond "I did nothing" is appropriate and desirable.  Rather than come to Haiti from an American perspective of doing, fixing, and changing we can better serve by coming with a humble attitude of learning, listening, building relationships and breaking bread together.  We are all broken, we all have faults and imperfections, and God loves us unconditionally as we are.

We toured some of his ministries ranging from educating barefoot children to providing a meal and safe place to rest for impoverished elderly.  He does much more than nothing.  It's a ministry that has been built shoulder to shoulder with Haitians over a period of 20 years.  Fantastic.  Inspiring.  Humbling.

When my husband Greg and I were married by my uncle, Fr. Reiser, he gave us a Bible and encouraged us to read this passage from Romans 8:38-39 together:

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[b] neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Walking back to the guest house mid day a young boy ran to put his arm around me and walk with me.  I asked the usual questions:  how are you?  what is your name?  Than I asked, "What are you doing today?"  (mid-day when children his age ought to be in school...but this is not an option for this little boy).  His response brought tears to my eyes.  

"Nothing."

Peace

Joyce